Using a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add water to the mixing bowl and add yeast. Run mixer for several minutes to dissolve yeast. Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt. After yeast is dissolved, add flour mixture to water and set mixer to speed "2". Run mixer for about 10 minutes using a rubber spatula to scrape any dry flour from side of mixing bowl into the path of the dough hook. After 10 minutes, add vegetable oil and mix for 2 additional minutes using spatula to keep everything in the path of the dough hook. When finished, the dough will appear very scrappy and rough. Pick up the dough scraps and press them into a ball by squeezing them together with your hands. Place dough into a plastic bucket, seal, and and allow to rise at room temperature for 24 hours.

When ready to make pizza, turn dough out onto floured work surface. Using a large rolling pin, roll dough out very thin. Drape dough over an oiled cutter pan, press into place, and trim off excess with the rolling pin. Dock the dough, add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 500 degrees F. on the lowest rack in the oven (the cutter pan should only be inches from the heating element). I open the oven door frequently to allow the heat to escape... this causes the thermostat to kick on which keeps the bottom heating element on. This superheats the pan making the crust cook and become crispy. When the bottom is golden brown and crisp, remove from oven. Slide pizza out of pan onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before placing in a serving tray and slicing.

Note: Use low-moisture part-skim mozzerella cheese. I use Stella brand which is available from Sam's Club. For the sauce, use my thin-crust sauce found on the main website (http://www.pizzamaking.com).

Let's just say that the cracker crust has been the most challenging to make. I actually like all types of pizza equally. Now that the cracker crust pizza recipe has been perfected, I think I'll move on to a different style... like trying to make the ultimate NY style pizza.

Cracker-like thin pizza doesn't depend on the dough recipe--the best I've ever had comes from a place in the Chicago suburbs which uses a standard flour:water ratio recipe and scant oil. It's the best pizza I've ever had!

The relevant factors are minimizing yeast and a high oven temperature. This pizza place has a metal-floored oven set at close to 600 degrees--with Steve's way of getting the metal pan close to the heating element you can mimic this set-up.

I've tried this method using a standard pizza pan and with my pizza machine, and both make wafer-thin, cripsy, cracker-like crust!

I have yet to use a pizza screen--they're supposed to be awesome. Has anyone ever tried one?

Hmmmm, interesting. I never was all that into Ray's, although I lived only a few blocks from THE Ray's (the one on 6th Avenue and 11th Street). I always thought it was way too overloaded with cheese; it was like a cheese bread more than a pizza. Maybe that was just the two times I ate there, so I could be wrong I guess....

Would any kind soul be willing to take pity on a transplanted New Yorker who doesn't get the Travel Channel and who has a homesick craving for his old pizza haunts, and be willing to send me a copy of the tape? This would also help me in my marriage, because my wife is in love with Lombardi's more than me!....

I'd pay for postage up front if need be....

If so, please email me at [email protected] with what you'd need for postage, and I could send you my address? *hopeful*